Vice President Al Gore said Sunday that President Clinton had not yet made up his mind on extending Most Favored Nation trade status to China and called dialogue on human rights there a form of progress. ''There is still an effort by China to convince us they are complying with several of the conditions (on human rights). Even though the deadline is approaching, I still think it's worthwhile to look at the overall record there,'' Gore said on CBS' Face the Nation. President Clinton must make his decision by June 3 as to whether he will extend the trade status.

WASHINGTON — After nearly 20 years of negotiations, Russia has finally joined the ranks of the World Trade Organization, marking what analysts see as one of the last post-Cold War moves to bring Russia into the international economic community. Russia's formal entry into the WTO on Wednesday also made it the biggest economy to become a member of the Geneva-based trade body since China joined in late 2001. China's entry paved the way for a rapid acceleration of exports of manufactured goods to the U.S., contributing to a sharp increase in America's trade deficit.

Leading Senate Democrats proposed legislation Tuesday that would allow President Bush to renew China's favored trade status for a year providing it did not violate restrictions on foreign missile sales. Senate Democratic Leader George Mitchell of Maine said the bill reflected a consensus but declined to predict whether it would get the necessary two-thirds majority in the Senate to override an expected presidential veto. The measure replaces a bill that Mitchell introduced last month which would have ended China's most-favored-nation status after six months unless Beijing met a series of stringent conditions.

Dean Cain has gone from playing Superman to accused murderer Scott Peterson. Out is the cape that made Cain famous. In is a bottle dye job to make him look like Peterson, who will soon go on trial, charged with killing his pregnant wife. Taking on such a character for the USA Network film The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story (which airs today at 8 p.m.) wasn't easy for Cain, despite his attempts in recent years to shed the sweet role of Superman he played on ABC's Lois & Clark.

A bill attaching conditions on renewal of China's favorable trade status with the United States is being reintroduced Thursday with the prospect that it will be signed by President Clinton. Former President George Bush vetoed a similar bill last year, and Congress was unable to override the veto. The new bill is to be unveiled at a news conference Thursday by Senate Democratic Leader George Mitchell and Rep Nancy Pelosi, D-Cal., long an activist on China affairs. An announcement said the bill is ''substantially the same'' as the measure that was approved overwhelmingly by Congress last year but which failed to get the two-thirds majority in the Senate needed to override Bush's veto.

By June 3, President Clinton must decide whether to renew most-favored-nation trade status for China. These benefits mean that Chinese goods sold in this country carry the same low tariffs enjoyed by most other nations; only a handful of countries are denied most-favored status. Throughout the 1980s, China's benefits were extended without controversy until 1989, when a crackdown on young demonstrators around Tiananmen Square killed hundreds. Clinton has said China must show significant progress in respecting human rights to retain the trade status; his decision could affect billions of dollars in trade and thousands of Chinese and American jobs.

President Bush signed a bill Friday to end most-favored-nation trade status for Yugoslavia because it has supported Serbian forces fighting in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the White House said.The bill was passed by the Senate Sept. 30, and by the House on Oct. 6.Most-favored-nation status allows the lowest U.S. tariffs for a country's exports to the United States. Because there already is a U.N. trade embargo in effect against Yugoslavia, the bill's effect is mainly symbolic to show U.S. displeasure with Yugoslavia's actions in the Bosnian conflict.

Most-favored-nation trade status is a benefit China does not deserve, say a slight majority of callers to Sound Off this week.Under such status, which will expire June 3 unless renewed by President Clinton, Chinese goods sold in the United States carry the same low tariffs enjoyed by most other nations.This week's question generated 450 calls, with 246 voting against China having the most-favored-nation status, and 204 in favor of extending it.Human rights was the concern of several callers who opposed the extension.

As the June deadline nears to renew China's most-favored-nation trade status, the Clinton administration has put China on notice that the United States will not tolerate deception.Last week, U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor announced quota reductions that will cut textile imports from China by more than $1 billion. That punitive action, which will take effect Jan. 17, is long overdue.For nine months, the Chinese government has refused to negotiate in good faith despite long-documented abuses that China illegally has used 25 other countries to transship about $2 billion worth of made-in-China clothing to the United States.

Sustaining a key element of President Clinton's foreign policy, the House voted 318 to 105 Wednesday to maintain China's preferred trade status for another year. The lopsided vote endorsed Clinton's decision to condition any further extension of China's ''most favored nation'' trade status beyond July 1994 on improvement in its human rights record, use of forced prison labor and emigration policy. ''This vote will send a unified message to the Chinese regime that the clock is ticking,'' said Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Selling milk and coffee to the Dominican Republic is fine with Gov. Sila Calderon's critics. After all, more trade with the rest of the Caribbean is sorely needed. But when Dominican President Hipolito Mejia recently gave Calderon his country's highest honor for heads of state -- recognition also given to the top leaders of Chile, Nicaragua and Venezuela -- the governor's opponents went into a tizzy. All this would seem trivial if it weren't part of a much deeper issue.

WASHINGTON -- The Senate voted Tuesday to open a new era in relations with China by opening the gates to trade. The historic vote likely will mean billions of dollars in new business for farmers, high-tech firms, aircraft companies and other exporters in Florida and across the nation as a giant new market opens up. The Senate voted 83-15 to offer China the same trade benefits that the U.S. offers its allies in the World Trade Organization. The U.S. will give up its annual review of whether to continue offering trade benefits to China.

WASHINGTON - President Clinton on Wednesday sent Congress legislation to grant permanent normal-trade status to China, saying it would shower America with more jobs and new business and help turn the Communist giant into ``the next capitalistic tiger.'' To reject such an opportunity would harm America's economic and political interests, Clinton argued in a speech at Johns Hopkins University's branch campus, and ``would be a mistake of hugely historic proportions.'' But even as Clinton was making his case for a step that would help make China a full-fledged member of the global economy, a rebellion against the proposal gained momentum on Capitol Hill, particularly in the House of Representatives, where a loose coalition of liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans oppose it. Organized labor is leading the revolt against a move that would permanently provide China trade concessions enjoyed by industrial democracies.

A small company that ships in space heaters from Argentina then ships them out to Canada is the only reason Volusia County gets to keep its coveted status as a foreign trade zone. The company, Appliances, Services and Parts Co. Inc., is the first business allowed to take advantage of that status. Starting today, ASAP won't have to pay import fees on goods it doesn't sell in the United States. Now, it pays a 2.6 percent duty fee to import the heaters from Argentina, the company said. It pays another 11.6 percent fee to send the heaters into Canada, he said.

A small company that ships in space heaters from Argentina and then ships them out to Canada is the only reason Volusia County gets to keep its coveted status as a foreign trade zone.Appliances, Services and Parts Co. Inc. is the first business allowed to take advantage of that status.Starting today, the company won't have to pay import fees on goods it doesn't sell in the United States.The company had been paying a 2.6 percent duty fee to import the heaters from Argentina, company President David Nixon said.

The European Union stripped Burma of special trading privileges Monday because of reports that it uses forced labor to boost exports. The decision was taken by a meeting of the 15-nation bloc's foreign ministers, following advice from the European Commission that investigated the allegations by non-governmental groups. The commission said Burma failed to cooperate with the investigation.

China has failed to improve its human-rights policies enough to meet President Clinton's standards for renewal of favored trade status, a senior administration official said Thursday. It is possible that China could make enough changes before a June 3 deadline, but it is not clear Beijing recognizes the United States means business, Assistant Secretary of State Winston Lord said.Last May, Clinton extended China's most-favored-nation trade status for one year but conditioned further extensions on ''overall significant progress'' on human rights.

A former U.S. ambassador to China urged Congress to approve renewal of China's non-discriminatory trade status with the United States but said it should attach conditions on human rights. Winston Lord, ambassador in Beijing from 1985 to 1989, made his appeal at a congressional hearing as President Bush formally notified Congress of his intention to renew China's most-favored-nation status for another year. Bush had signaled earlier that he wanted to renew China's trade status. A number of bills have been introduced to attach a variety of conditions.

Just a few days ago, when I was visiting with Westinghouse customers in Beijing, a call came in from the White House. It was word that sanctions were being lifted and Westinghouse would be permitted to ship power-generating equipment to China.The enthusiastic reaction of our Chinese customers spoke volumes about their esteem for American products, and about their confusion over American economic policy.For while their respect for American technology and business style was apparent, non-U.

The House voted Thursday to support President Clinton's decision to renew China's most-favored-nation trade status for another year.A proposal to repeal the status was defeated 286-141. Instead, the House overwhelmingly passed a resolution faulting China on human rights, trade and other issues, and ordered congressional hearings. Clinton renewed China's trade status last month.